Who created and designed this technology

University of Maryland Global Campus Psychology Discussion

Stage 2: Question Exercise 

Now that you have a specific technology to examine, in this stage, you will answer a series of questions to help you start thinking about how technology functions in the world and what impacts, biases and technological politics s it may have. 

Who created and designed this technology? What are the demographics of the creators? Use at least one reliable resource about inventors, designers, programmers, planners or the company to answer this question. Also, if appropriate, consider if there is a contested history about who invented the artifact. 

Provide a very brief history of this technology. How long has it been around? What significant changes has it gone through over the years?  

According to your observations of this technology in its context, who uses, depends on or interacts with this technology the most? Who uses, interacts or depends on it the least? Who never uses, interacts or depends on it or does not have easy access to it? Why? 

Based on your observations of this technology in its environment, who seems to benefit from this technology the most? Who might have difficulty benefitting from it and why? What kinds of built-in biases might this technology have due to who benefits from it?

Briefly describe one possible change to the design, location, programming or planning of this technology that could change who uses it and/or who can benefit from it.